In extremely difficult times, we are unable to hear Adonai or receive messages of hope. This Torah Portion, וָאֵרָא Va'Era (And I Appeared), reminds me about our basic needs and how only God's incredible mercy can reach us during those times. Have you ever attempted to help someone who could not understand your instructions? As if you were giving them basic common-sense instructions, but in their despair, they could only focus on the negative circumstance they are facing? I've been on both ends of these circumstances and this week's portion reminds me of that and instructs me how to deal with it. It reminds us how frail our humanity truly makes us. When the circumstances are so overwhelming that messages of hope sound fictional and far away.
"Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery" Exodus 6:9
The Creator appeared to Moses and sent him on a mission to rescue His people from the harsh reality they were facing. Yet, when Moses gave them this good news, they were incapable of receiving it because of all the suffering that surrounded them for so long. I've been in their shoes, where life's continuous battles and hardships engulfed my very spirit and continuously gave me the affirmation that there was no hope left to cling to. In those times we desperately need Adonai to act. The people needed to witness Adonai's miraculous hand moving in their favor before they could once again have a glimmer of hope. God did not disappoint. Throughout this portion, we see the Creator defeat in literal fashion all the false deities of Egypt with displays of power and might. My focus, however, is not on what He did, but how He chose to do it. He used Moses.
Moses, in this portion, represents the bringer of good news. He is the prophet or spokesperson for Adonai. A call that today belongs to you and me.
"We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20 (read 11-21 for better context)
We are the ones in charge of bringing the good news of deliverance to the people who are captives and slaves of the world today. Therefore we need to understand that there will be times when the people will not just be unwilling, but unable to hear us. If a person is going through an extreme hardship, they may not be able to capture or understand any message of hope. When that happens and we identify a spirit of brokenness we must then act as Jesus's hands and feet on earth. Our faith needs to go beyond words and we must act with true faith and charity. I can testify that there is no greater feeling than seeing Adonai work through you. It may be a word of faith that Adonai moves mountains to honor or it may be an act of love that He will use to destroy barriers. Regardless of how He does it, being used by Him to reconcile a soul to the Almighty is the best experience one can have as a believer.
As always I like to keep things practical in this ministry, so here comes the challenge: I challenge you to ask Adonai for an opportunity to win over someone for Christ every day. To use you to win over a broken spirit to move towards Adonai by either a miraculous word of faith or through a generous act of kindness. You will be shocked at how much an act of kindness will change people's minds or attitudes towards God. It may be something as grand as a physical healing, but also as small as smiling to a stranger. A kind word or an unexpected gift may completely change a person's path. I'll testify about two encounters I had last week and how much these encounters impacted people's lives:
The first example happened while in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, I met an older gentleman with a small service dog on his lap. Using the dog as a conversation starter, I struck up a discussion with him. Before long, he began sharing the hardships he was currently facing. He spoke about how a surgical mishap had completely derailed his life, leaving him bitter and resentful. His words were filled with anger, and he cursed frequently as he described his struggles. He even mentioned how he would “destroy” the surgeon if he ever encountered him on the streets. This unfortunate event caused him to lose his job, his savings, and his joy in life. As I listened, it became clear he wasn’t in a place to hear about Christ, so I prayed silently for him and let him continue sharing. After hearing him out, I felt led by the Spirit to gently share words of encouragement. I acknowledged his pain and validated the hardships he was experiencing, but I also spoke of hope and the possibility of finding peace amidst his struggles. I reminded him that even in the darkest times, there is a way forward, and I offered to pray for him. While he didn’t seem entirely receptive, I could sense that simply having someone to listen and empathize made a difference. Before he left he thanked me and apologized for cursing. I told him I understood where he was at and that he needed healing. We exchanged information and I promised to send him my book with my testimony of how God delivered me from a similar situation.
The second encounter happened last Friday, shortly after I had a medical procedure. As I was coming out of anesthesia, I overheard two young women talking about a bad date. One of them was expressing her disappointment and how exhausted she felt from being alone. Though I was still groggy, I blurted out, without much finesse, "Don’t settle for just anyone. God has a perfect person for you, but to find them, you need to be true to yourself. If someone isn’t the right fit, they won’t stay." I went on to say that her date not working out could be a blessing in disguise, and if she trusted God with this part of her life, He would bring the right person to her at the right time. I also shared a little about how I met my wife, explaining that we were friends before our relationship developed into something more. I emphasized the importance of building a strong foundation and trusting God's timing rather than rushing into something that might not be right. Despite my groggy state, the young women seemed receptive to what I was saying. They nodded and smiled, and I could tell they were reflecting on my words. As I finished speaking, I silently prayed that my message would resonate with them and give them hope in their journey to find meaningful connections. Before I left the young lady sought me out to thank me for the words of wisdom and I could see in her face that she was thankful and her hope had been renewed.
I just wanted to illustrate how the smallest action of kindness can completely change a person's life and perspective in a moment and help them get closer to trusting and surrendering to God. Your small acts of kindness will not go unnoticed and will add up as eternal treasures and testimonies in heaven. Even if you are facing difficult circumstances you can be a source of hope and joy for others. A biblical principle I learned a long time ago from Job. Even though he was facing horrific circumstances in his life, God used him to pray on behalf of his friends, and while Job did that God changed his circumstances.
"After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before." Job 42:10
That is how God works. If you choose to be a channel of blessings the blessing will flow through you and your life will benefit as you do God's will. Have a blessed week and remember to be a source of blessings for others. Look for opportunities and ask God to show you these "divine appointments" and your life will be blessed. Shalon Ve'Shavuah Tov.
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